How the Democrat Party Was Formed

(RepublicanReport.com) – When the United States was formed, there was only one political party. It didn’t take long for differences in opinion to divide that party and lead to what we have today. The main element of division is and has always been power. Democrats tend to favor heavy government involvement and support laws that concern women and minorities, specifically.

State and Federal Powers

Originally, the first two parties that existed after the formation of the US were the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists. Federalists believed that the strength of the nation should be held in the federal government, while Anti-Federalists preferred to give more power to the states, while also looking to the specifics of the Constitution for guidance. The War of 1812 saw the end of the Federalist party. The Democrat-Republican party had already formed and taken over the Anti-Federalist position, advocating for expansion and states’ rights.

Democrat-Republicans

Democrats are actually a branch formed out of the Democrat-Republican Party. Thomas Jefferson and James Madison helped form and lead The Democrat-Republican party in 1792. They branched off from the Federalist party after 1791. The Democrat-Republicans were opposed to a centralized banking system and grew concerned about the amount of power the federal government held over the states. The election of 1824 was the turning point that created what we now know as the Democrat party.

1824 Rift

In 1824, four members of the Democrat-Republican party all ran in the same election. Henry Clay, John Quincy Adams, William H. Crawford, and Andrew Jackson all ran for president as Democrat-Republicans. None of them secured the 131 electoral votes needed to win. The election was decided by the House of Representatives, who named John Quincy Adams as president. At the time, there were only 261 electoral votes total, and these were split between four people. These chaotic elements combined, leading Martin Van Burden to create the Democrat party and nominate Andrew Jackson as its candidate in the next presidential election. Thus, the Democrat party was formed.

Over the years, the Democrats have gone through their own changes, and some Independent parties have formed as a result. These parties tend to put their focus on more specific elements concerning the country. But America is still considered a two-party system, with Democrats and Republicans considered the main parties.